Phone book hanger



y 3 9 FFM LARRABEE 3,322,385

PHONE BOOK HANGER Filed July 16, 1965 INVENTOR.

m M larraee forneys United States Patent 3,322,385 PHONE BOOK HANGERFrank M. Larrabee, Los Angeles, Caliii, assignor to Knapp Mfg. Co., LosAngeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed July 16, 1965, Ser.No. 472,620 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-207) The invention relates to bracketsand more specially to a neat appearing bracket such as are found usefulfor supporting relatively heavy telephone books in a telephone booth.Although the invention is directed particularly to a use of this kind,the configuration and construction is one suited to supporting any oneof a variety of relatively heavy objects.

There are several noteworthy problems met in providing a support for atelephone .book in a public telephone booth. Books used to supplytelephone booths are usually very roughly and carelessly handled. Hence,any piece of hardware used for such purpose must be rugged and alsocapable of minimizing damage as much as possible under thecircumstances. In metropolitan areas telephone directories must berather heavy. When a person makes use of such a heavy directory and thenundertakes to return it to its hanger, the common practice is merely tolet it drop where it will jerk on the hanger and ultimately loosen thehanger attachment or perhaps either tear the hanger loose or tear thebook loose from its attachment after repeated use. Also any piece ofhardware which may be attractive tempts tampering by unauthorizedpersons. Further still, if a piece of hardware protrudes unduly andpresents corners and projections, they are quite apt to damage or injurea users clothing or person and provoke attempts at reimbursement.

Further still, telephone booths differ to a degree in their furnishing,some being provided with shelves, and others having no shelves butmerely a vertical panel to which anything may be attached. As a matterof convenience in installation or replacement, it is advisable for theserviceman to require as little variety of inventory as possible forsuch purpose.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new andimproved hanger for relatively heavy objects which is versatile to theextent that with nothing more than a slight change in the field thehanger can be positioned effectively either on a vertical panel or on ahorizontal panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved hangerfor relatively heavy objects which is neat and clean in line andappearance, devoid of protruding corners and edges, and whereinfunctional parts are effectively covered and protected, thereby tominimize temptation at tampering.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedhanger for objects like relatively heavy telephone directories which isbalanced and cushioned so that more than one book of the type of a heavydirectory can be suspended from it in balanced relationship, with thehanger of such construction that the connection is cushioned so as tominimize damage to both the hanger and the book when the book is droppedrepeatedly during use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedcushioned hanger of objects such as telephone directories which isinexpensive to manufacture, particularly easy to install in either oftwo positions and wherein such change as may be needed in the hangerassembly itself can .be quickly and readily accomplished by installationpersonnel in the field.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of thedevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafterset forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the hanger shown attached to avertical panel and partially broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of a hanger installation mounted ona horizontal panel.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the device of FIGURE 3 partiallybroken away on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of a yoke and hanger assembly usefulin the device of FIGURES 1, 2, 3, and 4.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustrationthere is provided a housing indicated generally by the referencecharacter shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2 attached to a vertical panel 11 andin FIG- URES 3 and 4 attached to a horizontal panel 12. A yoke indicatedgenerally by the reference character 13 is shown in FIGURE 5 providedwith respective hangers 14 and 15 for objects such as telephonedirectories of different weights,

The housing 10 consists of side walls 16 and 17, an end wall 18 togetherwith cover walls 19 and 20 which together enclose a chamber 21. Flanges22 and 23 at the end of the housing opposite from the end wall 18 extendoutwardly of the housing adjacent respective ends of the side walls 16and 17, the flanges being provided with appropriate holes for theaccommodation of screws 24, 25, 26 27.

As shown, the cover wall 29 extends for about only half the length ofthe housing 10, thereby to provide an access opening 30 to the chamber21. In the cover wall 26 is a hole 31 for the accommodation of an eyebolt 32. A hole 33 in the end wall 18 is for a similar purpose. Thecover wall 20 in the embodiment shown is provided with tabs 34 and 35which are actually upwardly bent portions of the cover wall 20 lyingwithin the chamber 21 and attached to the inside face of respective sidewalls 16 and 17 by some appropriate means such as spot welding.Constructed in this fashion the housing 10 can be relatively light inweight but particularly rigid, rugged and dependable. As shown, corners37 and 38 are formed when the side walls 16 and 17 are bent from thecover wall 19. The end wall 18 is actually an extension of the coverwall 19 and is bent around a corner 39 of relatively large radius.Another corner 40 also of relatively large radius joins the end wall 18to the cover wall 20. Although corners such as the corners 41 and 42 maybe formed by soldering or welding, this is not necessarily required,even where the housing 10 is of relatively thin gauge sheet metal asshown in FIGURES l and 2.

A shank 45 of the eye bolt 32 extends slidably through the hole 31 sothat most of the length of the shank is within the chamber 21. At theinnermost end of the shank 45 a nut 46 is threadedly applied over aspring keeping washer 47 and a cotter pin 48 may be employed to makecertain that the nut 46 does not come unscrewed. A somewhat conicalcoiled spring 49 presses against an inside surface of the cover wall 20at one end and against the washer 47 at the other end. In the form ofFIGURE 1 the housing 10 is mounted upon a vertical panel 11 and in suchmounting the eye bolt is applied as shown and described to the coverwall 20. Should it be advisable to attach the flanges 22 and 23 and thehousing 10 to a horizontal panel like the horizontal panel 12, thecotter pin 48 is removed together with the nut 46 and washer 47 therebypermitting the eye bolt to be withdrawn and u) reinserted into the hole33 in the end wall 18. Following insertion the washer 47, nut 46, andcotter pin 48 may then be reapplied so that the eye bolt will extenddownwardly when the flanges 22 and 23 are attached to a horizontalpanel.

Although sheet metal has been suggested for construction of the housingas described in connection with FIG- URES l and 2, a housing may be madefrom east material which may be either a synthetic plastic resin or somemetallic material, such as has been suggested in FIGURES 3 and 4. Inthis form of device there are provided side walls 50 and 51, an end wall52, and cover walls 53 and 54. The shortness of the cover wall 54provides an opening 55 across the side of the housing 10 occupied by thecover wall 54. Flanges 56 and 57 accommodate screws like the screws 24,25, 26, 27, previously described. In this form of invention the coverwall 54 is provided with a hole 58 and the end wall 52 with a similarhole 59, for the accommodation of the shank 45 of an eye bolt 32.Although in FIGURES 3 and 4 the eye bolt is shown mounted in the endwall 52, it may be removed in the same fashion as has been described inconnection with FIGURES 1 and 2 and placed in the hole 58 of the coverwall 54. In this way the housing 10 like the housing 10 can be mountedon either a horizontal panel or a vertical panel.

The yoke 13 is shown in FIGURE 1 attached by means of an S hook 60 tothe eye bolt 32. A hole 61 in the yoke 13 which accommodates the S hookis near one edge and intermediate opposite ends 62 and 63. A hole 64 inthe end 62 is at a shorter distance, namely the distance A from the hole60 than is a hole 65 in the end 63, namely the distance B. This meansthat the hanger 14, for example, and its appended weight (not shown)hangs at a different distance from the point of support. Hence if thereare two weights, one heavier than the other, the heavier weight will beattached to the hanger 16 and the lighter weight to the hanger and therewill be a degree of balance between the two. Therefore, in use when oneor both of the weights are dropped after use. the impact will be takenup by the yoke 13 and transmitted through the eye bolt 32 to the spring49 which will yield and cushion the impact. Cushioned in this fashion,there is less likelihood of the hanger attachment to the panel beingloosened and less likelihood of the remaining portions of the apparatusbeing broken loose or the weights such as books torn.

Moreover, by confining the spring 49 entirely within the chamber 21, asin the case of FIGURES l and 2, or the chamber 21, as in the case ofFIGURES 3 and 4, the spring and its attachment is completely sealed andtemptation to remove the yoke and the directory is substantiallyminimized. Also by concealing movable elements like the nut 46 andcotter pin 48 as well as the spring, only the rounded exterior of thehousing projects into the phone booth from the respective panel. Sincethe exterior can be rounded and since the housing is kept relativelysmall, there will be little or nothing about it to injure a user or tearclothing even in the small space customarily encountered in such placesas telephone booths. Further still if after installation on a verticalpanel the need should arise to reattach the housing to a horizontalpanel, or vice versa, the attachment can readily be made in the field bymerely changing the position of the eye hook from one wall to anotherand reapplying the flanges to the appropriate panel.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support ofLetters Patent is:

1. A book supporting hanger comprising a housing having walls forming arelatively closed chamber, and a supporting flange means on saidhousing, one of said walls having an access opening for said chamber,one of said walls having a hole extending therethrough, an eye boltextending slidably through the hole in said one wall into said chamberfor supporting a book, a coil spring surrounding the portion of said eyebolt within said chamber and bearing at one end on the inside face ofsaid one wall, a spring keeper secured to said eye bolt in engagementwith the other end of the spring, and a yoke attached to said eye boltintermediate opposite ends of said yoke and hangers for supporting booksat the side ends of said yoke.

2. A hanger for supporting a book element on structural panelscomprising a housing having two side walls, an end wall, first andsecond cover walls joined to said side walls at respectively oppositeedges and to said end wall forming a relatively closed chamber, andsupporting flange means on said housing adapted to be secured to saidpanel, said side walls and the second of said cover Walls extending tosaid supporting flange means, the first of said cover walls having anaccess opening for said chamber adjacent said flange means, a firstaperture in the first of said cover walls, a second aperture in said endwall, said apertures being adapted to slidably receive the shank of aneye bolt, an eye bolt extending slidably through one of said aperturesinto said chamber, a coil spring surrounding the portion of said eyebolt shank within said chamber and hearing at one end on the wallassociated with the aperture receiving the eye bolt, a spring keeperremovably secured to said eye bolt in engagement with the other end ofthe spring.

3. A hanger for supporting a book element on horizontal and verticalstructural panels comprising a housing having side walls, an end wall,first and second cover walls forming a relatively closed chamber, andsupporting flange means at the end opposite said end wall adapted to besecured to one of said panels, said second cover wall being continuouswith said side walls and said end wall, said end wall being continuouswith said first cover wall, the corners between said first cover walland said end wall and between said second cover wall and said end wallbeing of relatively large radius, the first of said cover walls havingan access opening for said chamber, tabs on two edges of said firstcover wall adjacent said access opening inside said chamber atfixedrespectively to said side walls, aperture means respectively in said endwall and said first cover wall adjacent said access opening, said sidewalls and the second of said cover walls extending to said supportingflange means, an eye bolt extending slidably through one of saidaperture means into said chamber when the supporting flange is to beattached to the vertical panel, a coil spring surrounding the portion ofsaid eye bolt within said chamber and bearing at one end on the insideface of the wall associated with the aperture receiving the eye bolt, aspring keeper removably secured to said eye bolt in engagement with theother end of the spring, said eye bolt being removable from said oneaperture means for insertion into the other aperture means when thesupporting flange is to be attached to said horizontal panel.

4. A hanger for supporting a plurality of book elements on horizontaland vertical structural panels comprising a housing having side walls,an end wall, cover walls joined to said side walls at respectivelyopposite edges and to said end wall forming a relatively closed chamber,and supporting flanges at the end opposite said end wall adapted to besecured to one of said panels, one of said cover walls having a lengthless than the length of said side Wall and forming an access opening forsaid chamber, holes respectively in said end wall and one of said coverWalls, an eye bolt extending slidably through the hole in said one coverwall into said chamber when the supporting flange is to be attached tothe vertical panel, a coil spring surrounding the portion of said eyebolt Within said chamber and bearing at one end on the inside face ofsaid one cover wall, a spring keeper removably secured to said eye boltin engagement with the other end of the spring, said eye bolt beingremovable from said one cover Wall for insertion in the hole of the endWall when the supporting flange is to be attached to said horizontalpanel, a yoke attached to said eye bolt intermediate opposite ends ofthe yoke and hangers for said book elements at side ends and at unequal15 6 distances from said eye bolt whereby to balance book elements ofunequal weights.

7 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 818,421 4/ 1906 Denning 242521,107,811 8/1914 Lucas 248-207 2,159,870 5/1939 Wert 24854 2,316,290 4/1943 Schenbeck 248--3 16 2,486,279 10/ 1949 Hathaway 248289 JOHN PETO,Primary Examiner.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner.

SEITTER, Assistant Examiner.

1. A BOOK SUPPORTING HANGER COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING WALLS FORMING ARELATIVELY CLOSED CHAMBER, AND A SUPPORTING FLANGE MEANS ON SAIDHOUSING, ONE OF SAID WALLS HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING FOR SAID CHAMBER,ONE OF SAID WALLS HAVING A HOLE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, AN EYE BOLTEXTENDING SLIDABLY THROUGH THE HOLE IN SAID ONE WALL INTO SAID CHAMBERFOR SUPPORTING A BOOK, A COIL SPRING SURROUNDING THE PORTION OF SAID EYEBOLT WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND BEARING AT ONE END ON THE INSIDE FACE OFSAID ONE WALL, A SPRING KEEPER SECURED TO SAID EYE BOLT IN ENGAGEMENTWITH THE OTHER END OF THE SPRING, AND A YOKE ATTACHED TO SAID EYE BOLTINTERMEDIATE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID YOKE AND HANGERS FOR SUPPORTING BOOKSAT THE SIDE ENDS OF SAID YOKE.